ness of his character; this led him to the commission of the greatest crimes. Abandoning himself to the dissolute Messalina, and to affranchised slaves, still more depraved, he relinquished to them the government, and plunged himself into those excesses which corrupt the heart and debase human nature. Silanus, Valerius, thirty senators, and more than three hundred knights, were put to death. The treasures of the state passed into the hands of his unworthy courtiers, Pallas and Narcissus, and the lives of the citizens were at their disposal.

Fallen into a state of imbecility, Claudius became, in a manner, an absolute stranger to what was transacted in his own palace. It is well known that he signed the marriage contract of his wife, Messalina, with Silius, conceiving by this formality that he should avert the disasters which threatened him. It is also known, that when Messalina perished by order of Narcissus, he received the news of her death with indifference, and was heard some days after to enquire why she was not at table.

The mother of Nero, Agrippina, whose ambition equalled her pride, endeavoured to captivate the heart of Claudius, of whom she was the niece; in this she succeeded: Claudius was now under a new influence; and Rome, after having been the slave of an immodest woman, beheld herself governed by this imperious female.

Agrippina regulated every thing, but was principally occupied on the elevation of her son. By her intrigues, her address, and ascendancy over her husband, Claudius made choice of Nero for his successor, in preference of Britannicus, who was his son. Claudius, sensible of this injustice, became at length a prey to remorse, and appeared disposed to repair the injury, and to punish Agrippina, when the mother of Nero, anticipating his intentions, caused him to be poisoned, in the year 54 of J. C.

During the first years of his reign, Claudius was a prince without any dreaded character; but in the latter period he became so deficient in intellect, as to be indifferent to his dignity and his weaknesses, his duty and his rights. If his wife felt disposed to avenge the scorn of a lover, she found him ever ready to obey her commands. If his slaves, thirsting for the wealth of a citizen, advised Claudius to put him to death, he pronounced the decree of death. Camillus, governor of Dalmatia, caused himself to be proclaimed emperor, and wrote a letter to Claudius, replete with threats, if he did not relinquish the empire. To this Claudius would have submitted, had he not been prevented. He invaded the established orders of the state, in giving to his officers the right of administering justice. The wars of Marius and Sylla were only undertaken, says Montesquieu, to ascertain who should possess this privilege, the knights or the senators. The caprice of an imbecile took it out of the hands of both; an extraordinary instance of the success of a despotism, which had convulsed the universe.

POLIDORO DA CARAVAGGIO.

POLIDORO CALDARA, surnamed Caravaggio, from the place of his birth, was born in 1495. While assisting the masons in preparing the walls of the Vatican for the frescos of Raphael, he first conceived the design of becoming a painter. The pupils of Raphael, to whom he had communicated his ideas, pleased with his manners, took him into their service, assisted him in his studies, and recommended him to Raphael. Under his care he attained that skill in design, which, added to his thorough knowledge of the chiaro-scuro, raised him to the celebrity he so justly possessed.

On the death of Raphael, Caravaggio attached himself to Mathurino of Florence, in conjunction with whom, he adorned Rome with many friezes and façades; these are unfortunately destroyed, or the few fragments that remain are too imperfect to mark the ability of the painter. The labours, profits, and success, of these two painters, were in common; the only instance (says a French author) of such an union between two artists.

Mathurino dying of the plague, and Bourbon having pillaged Rome, Caravaggio fled to Naples, where he was received by Andrea da Salerno, through whose interest he received many commissions, and attracted general notice. From thence he went into Sicily, where he displayed his talents as an architect, in executing several triumphal arches, when Charles V. entered Messina. While in Sicily he devoted his atten